Diesel fuel spill at Air Force surveillance facility on Hawaiian mountaintop
The Air Force reported today that about 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out on January 29, 2023 at Air Force’s surveillance telescope facility on top of Haleakala on the island of Maui.
The spill occurred at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, which tracks satellites and space debris using several telescopes atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano. “Due to a mechanical issue, a diesel fuel pump for an on-site backup generator failed to shut off” Sunday night, the Air Force said in a news release.
At about 8 a.m. Monday, maintenance personnel discovered the failure and shut off the transfer pump, the Air Force said.
Since 2021 the military has had two other accidents at different Hawaiian facilities. Considering the hostile political atmosphere there for any facility not run by “native Hawaiians”, this new fuel spill could not have come at a worse time. Expect pressure to mount to remove this facility.
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The Air Force reported today that about 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out on January 29, 2023 at Air Force’s surveillance telescope facility on top of Haleakala on the island of Maui.
The spill occurred at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, which tracks satellites and space debris using several telescopes atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano. “Due to a mechanical issue, a diesel fuel pump for an on-site backup generator failed to shut off” Sunday night, the Air Force said in a news release.
At about 8 a.m. Monday, maintenance personnel discovered the failure and shut off the transfer pump, the Air Force said.
Since 2021 the military has had two other accidents at different Hawaiian facilities. Considering the hostile political atmosphere there for any facility not run by “native Hawaiians”, this new fuel spill could not have come at a worse time. Expect pressure to mount to remove this facility.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
” . . . about 700 galleons of diesel fuel . . .”
Holy Crow! The Internet says that a Spanish galleon could transport about 500 toneladas (Spanish ton), which are very nearly equal to a regular Imperial short ton. That’s 350,000 tons, or enough fuel to keep Al (Climate Change) Gores estate going for a year.
Typos can be fun *and* educational!
Spell check not doing you any favors.
A priest, an evangelical minister and a rabbit walk into a bar.
The bartender looks at each in turn and says “What’ll you have?
The priest speaks first and says “Whisky, neat, if you please”
He turns to the minister, who says” A pint of bitter ale, would be nice”.
Last he faces the rabbit, who jumps up and says “Beats me, I am just hear because of auto-correct”.
700 gallons is quite a bit.
All the dirt that it touched now has to be trucked away and burned as hazardous waste. They are required to this much.
More than likely the government will take this opportunity to replace any aging equipment. Even if the site will only be used for a few more years. They always work with the idea that they will be staying for many years.
I also trained in aircraft refueling in the Air force. Even if this was a mechanical failure you should never rely on an automatic shut off system. Always watch it with your own eyes.
Meanwhile, lava flashes seawater to acid.
“All the dirt that it touched now has to be trucked away and burned as hazardous waste. They are required to this much.”
Naah. Gasoline is considered hazardous but diesel isn’t. It changes the handling but the clean-up is basically the same.
Excavation to the furthest extent of contamination. Take soil to landfill and spread. Replace material with clean.